Afrocentric Theory Research Articles

Interrelatedness of the naming of children in the South African cultural context

The study seeks to explore the interrelatedness around the naming of children in the traditional societies of Southern Africa. Traditionally, among the Vhavenda, Vatsonga, Bapedi, Xhosa, Zulu, Swati and other various African cultures in Southern Africa, it was the duty of the grandparents to name their grandchildren. The naming was largely influenced by the events which occurred in the family. The study was conducted first to establish the interrelatedness in the naming of children among the multicultural context of traditional societies of Southern Africa, secondly to determine whether the naming has implications to the behaviour and character of the child while they grow. Senior citizens who are knowledgeable were interviewed on what were considered in the naming process and what are the cultural values that are attached to this process. Data was collected using semi structured interviews and analysed thematically. Afrocentric theory was utilised as the basis for the research findings. The research findings were of paramount importance around some of the individual names among different cultures and the implications of the behaviour of a child when he grows. The paper recommends the reimagining of the spirituality around some individuals names and the naming process, the revival of the traditional naming process is meant for cultural heritage preservation.

Identities in Transition from Africa to Canada: Becoming Students

Students studying abroad are faced with challenges that impact their cultural, social, and economic identities, and this varies greatly depending on their home country and study destination. The transition and inter-cultural learning experiences of international tertiary students from African countries are currently under-examined. Afrocentric theory was employed to interpret the data derived from this qualitative study, which drew upon participatory action research and Photovoice methods to explore how African students navigate transitions to studying in Canada and the strategies they use for creating supportive social resources. As authors, co-researchers, and participants, we identified unique insights on how students build and maintain senses of connections, familiarity, and comfort when away from home, and how they conceptualize, create, and sustain community. These accounts provide insight for mentors, faculty, and policymakers in North American institutions on how they can offer opportunities for holistic learning, cultural integration, and access to valuable mentorship to help students navigate the complex journey of transition.

Exploring and Navigating the Chasm: The Incompatibility of Western Gatekeeping Theory with Akwa-Cross Akata Indigenous Media

The global practice of journalism which is a Western conception stipulates that any media content meant for public consumption must go through the process of ‘Gatekeeping’ by ‘Gatekeepers’ before it is featured on any media channel. This quality assurance process ensures that media contents that could insult public sensibilities and unfit for public consumption are sorted out and discarded. Ironically, it is believed that this principle applies globally across media terrains. The Akata indigenous media, of the Akwa-Cross (Akwa Ibom and Cross River States) rural communities does not have ‘Gatekeepers’ who ensure that the quality of information churned out is fit for public consumption, free of legal issues and defamation. This study basically examines the sharp contrast, the incompatibility and unsuitability of the Western theoretical concept of Gatekeeping with the traditional African ‘Akata’ masquerade which serves as the traditional media for West African natives (Akwa Ibom and Cross River States communities in Nigeria). A qualitative methodology using focus group discussion as the procedure to elicit data from members of the Akata masquerade was used in this study. To ascertain the contextual relevance and significance of this cult, several Afrocentric theories were employed to examine the phenomenon.

Underdevelopment in Nigerian and Other Developing Countries: Imperialism Versus Corruption

The conception that Africa is underdeveloped because of the incursion of Europeans vis-à-vis slave trade, imperialism and colonialism is so overwhelming that it beclouds contemporary reality of the fundamental causes of underdevelopment in Nigeria and other developing countries. Very recently, precisely January 22, 2016, John Kerry (US Secretary of States) declared that corruption is killing Nigeria and 5 other states. Alhaji Lai Mohammed (Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture) had earlier stated that about 55 people stole a total of 1.34 trillion Naira between 2006 and 2013. This arousesconsciousness on corruption and brings to question the Afrocentric theories of underdevelopment. The study appraises the basic assumptions of dependency / imperialism conceptions and juxtaposes it with cases of corruption in Nigeria. The study concludes that Nigeria and other developing countries should stop brooding over slavery, imperialism and colonialism that ended several decades ago and face present realities because almost all the countries of the world were at one time or the other brutalized, subjugated and exploited. The reality is that corruption is the root cause of contemporary underdevelopment in Nigeria and other developing countries. The study recommends among other things that anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria should be strengthened and granted more coercive and enforcement powers. There should be no sacred cows or caveats in the fight against corruption. Stiffer penalties and punishment should be meted out on corruption cases and immunities of politicians should be conditional waived in glaring cases of corruption.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND GOVERNANCE IN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVES: CHALLENGES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The democratic transition on the African continent has been accompanied by problems of poor governance, poor administration, third terms and centralized power, electoral administration conundrums, and corruption. This paper examines the overarching problems in Africa, including electoral challenges, the third term and centralization of power, societal, social, and economic governance, and the death of ethics. This is a desktop study, also known as a conceptual study, that is based on Asante's Afrocentricity Theory, which provides pedagogical thinking about power, dominance, racism, and the need to escape victimization. The findings of the article reveal that many African countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Nigeria, face significant challenges due to poor governance and maladministration. The paper concludes by stating that to address the challenge of poor governance and maladministration in African countries, a multifaceted approach is necessary. One potential innovative solution is to increase transparency and accountability in government institutions using technology and data-driven decision-making. This could involve the implementation of digital systems for monitoring and reporting on government activities as well as the creation of independent oversight committees to ensure public officials are held accountable for their actions.

African Thought and Western (European) Misconception: An Afrocentric Paradigm

The present study is a critical examination of a model of African thought in which Afrocentricity as a theory is employed. During both pre-colonial and colonial times, people from the West (Europe) believed themselves to be more intelligent than Africans. This misconception about African knowledge systems led to the labelling of Africa as the “dark continent”. This article explores this controversial issue by engaging with previous contributions which delved into similar debates. It is argued that “intelligence” cannot be defined by the colour of the skin. The discussion dialogues with Molefi Kete Asante’s Afrocentric theory with regard to African thought and Western misconceptions. Examples of persons celebrated as being endowed with exceptional knowledge in both leadership and academic capacities are cited. Unique architectural sites in southern Africa are also discussed as evidence of ancient civilisations on the continent. Decoloniality is used as a research method.

Leisure and Learning in African Children’s Literature: The Case of Swati Riddles

The Swati, like other Africans, use songs, plays, games, taboos, proverbs and riddles to fashion, store, and transmit their cultural values and worldview as well as to socialise citizens. In this article, we use the theory of Afrocentricity to analyse how entertainment and learning are intertwined in Swati riddles, known as tiphicwaphicwano. The tenets of the Afrocentricity theory employed in this study include the need for African literary works to be looked at as appreciated and understood by the participants, returning to Africans the agency they were robbed of through colonialism, and humanising and harmonising humans with nature and the communal nature of African life. Drawing examples from two anthologies on Swati oral lore, Giya Sigiye by Vilakati and Msibi and Swazi Oral Literature by Kamera, and from everyday use, our analysis shows that Swati riddles are a form of art and game largely played by children as they pass time. The game calls for the participation of more than one person; it is played in the form and spirit of competition and, as the children pass time, they also gain cultural knowledge, values, worldview, life skills and an understanding of how to relate with each other and with nature. Overall, Swati riddling sessions interface learning and playing. These findings have a bearing on further research and on how today’s society can socialise its citizens.

Time to flock: time together strengthens relationships and enhances trust to teach despite challenges

ABSTRACT This study applies an Afrocentric theory (Relationship-Resourced Resilience [RRR]) to analyze teacher resilience in a less-researched context in the Global South. The Isithebe-intervention study in South African schools investigated how time together to strengthen relationships promotes teacher resilience despite structural disparities. Teachers were conveniently sampled, and South African schools were purposively sampled using concurrent mixed-methods triangulation. Based on Ubuntu social-connectedness principles, the intervention gave teachers monthly art-based time to communicate and build relationships. Pre- and post-intervention measurements included teacher-reported surveys (ENTREE and REPSSI SC subscales) and participatory reflection and action conversations (verbatim transcriptions and visual data). Inferential statistics were used to analyze quantitative data and showed that time together increases resilience, social connectedness, and trust. Qualitative results show time spent together promoted a sense of belonging, safety, and trust in supporting one another by sharing ideas for informal professional development or caring for children, families, and friends who depend on such help to withstand ongoing challenges. Few teacher resilience studies exist in Global South and South Africa. Structured time to build relationships capitalizes on dominant but marginalized Afrocentric belief systems favoring interdependent, collective resilience values, beliefs, and practices and encourages instructors to teach countering deficit notions of structurally disparate contexts.

An African Perspective of Drama: The Case of the Homowo Festival among the People of Teshie, Greater Accra Region – Ghana

There have been literary scholars such as Ruth Finnegan who have argued and asserted that drama is not a literary genre that is well developed in Africa. Although this assertion has been refuted and disproved by other literary scholars such as Euchero, Enekwe and Owomoyela, people still struggle with exactly what drama in Africa entails and is about. Whether the dramatic elements and traditions found in the performances are simply not remnants of the encounter with the western world as popularly postulated or they are actually traditions deeply rooted in the culture and identity as Africans. The paper used a qualitative research method that is essentially rooted in ethnography and historical facts that surround the Homowo festival. Also, with Afrocentric theory and Structural Theory of Myth, this paper has critically examined the Homowo festival of the people of Teshie in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana as an African drama and established that the various performances during the festival festivities have the features of drama and not only that, but they practically and vividly show how the performances are rooted in history, myth, rituals and the belief of the people in the community; thus, exhibiting a clear perspective of African drama. This study further contributes to the existing knowledge on oral literature and the treatment of festivals in Africa as a literary genre. It presents the Homowo festival as a fully fledged cultural practice that takes into cognizance essential dramatic elements embedded in its performance. Keywords: Festival, African Drama, Myth, Homowo

Work-Life Management Challenges for Graduate Students of Color at an HBCU During a Pandemic

This article expands the student work-life discussion to include nontraditional graduate students of color. The Afrocentric theory is used as a conceptual framework. A collaborative inquiry approach was used to capture the reflections and experiences of three urban graduate students of color matriculating at a historically Black university during a pandemic. Six themes emerged: COVID-19, ties that bind, financial responsibility, linked fate, mental and physical well-being, and student work-life management. The article concludes with implications for education, research, and policy.

(Un)masking self in the ivory tower: An African herstory

ABSTRACT From a critical autoethnographic perspective, this article records the herstory of a young African woman positioned as an international academic in the U.S. ivory tower. I rely on Dove’s [(1998). African womanism: An Afrocentric theory. Journal of Black Studies, 28(5), 515–539. https://do.org/10.1177/002193479802800501] African womanist theory and Afrocentric cultural frames to narrate and interpret my experiences. I critically navigate my intersectionality through cultural communication and autoethnography as I dance to tunes of apatampa to present a positioned, encultured, and embodied account of myself. As a corollary, I use different African features and methods of womanist engagements, such as storytelling, poetry, and proverbs, to share my experiences as a young African woman in a predominantly white institution (PWI). I share how this ussearch can be utilized to inform practice to increase the whistle volumes of African and international female faculty in U.S. higher education.

The Politics of Employment in South Africa under the African National Congress: An Afrocentric perspective

The rate of unemployment (state of being unemployed) in South Africa continues to rise yearly and the youth of South Africa continue to suffer at the hands of the leading Party, the African National Congress (ANC). This article adopts the Afrocentric theory to unpack the realities of the current state of employment in South Africa. The authors argue that it is currently uneasy for youth and tertiary graduates to get employment. Some of the reasons outlined in the article include favouritism, corruption and nepotism that continue to haunt the ANC almost three decades in power. The systematic politics of employment in South Africa does not favour the ordinary citizens in dire need of jobs. This article’s central argument is that government vacancies that are regularly advertised are not often awarded to deserving individuals, but individuals aligned to the ruling ANC party. Methodologically, this paper relied heavily on document study.

Introduction: The crisis of African Studies and Philosophy in the epoch of The Fourth Industrial Revolution

The very claim of the historical instance of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is increasingly being subjected to critical interrogation from a variety of cultural and ideological perspectives. From an Afrocentric theory of history, this questioning of the ontology of the 4IR is sharpened by Africa’s experience of the claimed progressive mutation of global industrial progress from the “first” to this “fourth” revolution. Africa experienced the first industrial revolution as a European revolution in the exploitation of her natural and human resources, as well as the despoliation of her cultural-epistemic sovereignty. The challenge to fully engage in the theorisation of this 4IR, given the overwhelming and inexorable effects of its digital technologies on the personhood, sociality and geopolitical state of Africa has exposed the critical need for a set of rigorous Africanist analytical tools and epistemological approaches capable of guiding Africa’s appropriation of this techno-social revolution. This essay introduces the collection of research papers that have been selected for their endeavour to meet this challenge. It is highlighted that all of them move from a unique approach that asserts that technological progress is historical-cultural and socially embedded. Some of them address the question of the historico-ontological status of the 4IR innovatively with original African methodological tools, while others demonstrate how an African epistemology can be applied to issues such a digital virtual communities and robotics. This contribution to the bourgeoning field of African Philosophy of Technology is admired as work in progress.

Indigenising and Africanising South Africa's Approaches to Curbing COVID-19 in South Africa: An Integrated Approach

South Africa‘s declaration of a state of pandemic on 27 March 2020 to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has elicited debates on the impact of government's policy responses, such as national lockdowns, on the economy of the country. Some pundits support lockdown measures by arguing that they save many lives. Others acknowledge the efficacy of lockdowns in combating the spread of COVID-19 but argue that they have a devastating impact on the economy and livelihoods. However, both pro- and anti-lockdown commentators neglect African indigenous approaches in combatting the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. The current paper offers a consolidated approach on how African indigenous approaches might be practically and pragmatically integrated with South Africa‘s COVID-19 policy responses. Drawing on Afrocentric theory, this paper argues that a combination of Western and African indigenous approaches can be more successful in combating the spread of COVID-19 if they are incorporated into a synthesis that adopts useful elements of each. This paper argues that by insisting on national lockdowns, social distancing, self-isolation, and the use of facemasks and vaccines as the only means of combating COVID-19, the South African government is discrediting the use of indigenous African knowledge.

Editorial: Ways of Seeing Women’s Leadership in Education—Stories, Images, Metaphors, Methods and Theories

Gender and educational leadership remains a focus for scholarly interest precisely because gender inequalities remain. That is the case 30 years on from the publication of seminal works that established gender and women in educational leadership as a focus for research (Shakeshaft 1987; Blackmore 1989; Dillard 1995). Scholars continue to document women’s under-representation in leadership (Alston, 2005). This Research Topic focuses on accounts of doing leadership (e.g. Cook), as well as showing how their inclusion transforms leadership theory e.g. by incorporating gender, feminist, intersectionality and Afrocentric theories (e.g. Gullo and Sperandio, Tripses and Lazaridou, Malachias et al., Williams). Feminist epistemology ensures women’s experiences and ways of seeing are central to the research purpose and process; that women as leaders are not solely the object of the researcher’s gaze. In particular, feminist standpoint theory recognises there is epistemic privilege so that situated knowledge, what is known and the ways it can be known, is shaped by the positionality of knowledge producers. A reflexive approach prompts feminist researchers to reflect deeply on context, as well as their positionality, in relation to the focus of research. The theme of this Research Topic—“Ways of seeing women’s leadership in education: stories, images, metaphors, methods and theories”—reflects collective experiences from diverse perspectives. Earlier versions of these eighteen papers were first presented at the seventh Women Leading Education across Continents conference at the University of Nottingham, UK in the summer of 2019.

China’s engagements on the african continent: interrogating its true mission and objectives on the continent

China’s engagement(s) throughout the African continent has met with mixed reactions from academics, politicians, civil society, and interest groups. In that regards, this paper questions the link between China-Africa, if this is a new form of colonialism or is China kind to the continent. Thus, this paper examines whether the debates regarding the nature of the China-Africa relations can be qualified or categorized as a new form of colonialism approach or not. Also, the paper analyzes the perception of academics, politicians, civil society and interested groups about the implications towards the China-Africa economic cooperation and explains whether China is taking advantage of the weak African states in the name of South-South cooperation or playing the role of a contemporary substitute of the old colonial system. The paper has adopted an Afrocentricity theory as a lens sometimes referred as a theory of social change that is initiated and better clarified by Asante Molefi Kete (1980 and 2003). Afrocentricity is an approach to the study of world history that focuses on the history of people of recent African descent. To achieve the aims of this paper, the author(s) benefited from Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of secondary data covering China’s economic engagements in Africa. Conceptually, it is found that China has a large influence in Zambia over the mining industry. It is affirmed that China’s investments in the mining sector control over 88%. Therefore, it is concluded in this paper that China’s presence on the African continent presents equal opportunities (economic development, e.g., employment creation) and threats (loss of Sovereignty, employment exploitation). Thereafter, this paper recommends that African governments should be pro-active in order to exploit the potential opportunities. The paper also recommends that there should be an economic win-win cooperation as per China’s African Policy (2006), which implies that there should be a mutual benefit.

China’s engagement(s) throughout the African continent has met with mixed reactions from academics, politicians, civil society, and interest groups. In that regards, this paper questions the link between China-Africa, if this is a new form of colonialism or is China kind to the continent. Thus, this paper examines whether the debates regarding the nature of the China-Africa relations can be

This research paper suggests the Means-End Chain theory, has relevant and potential application in domestic tourism research and, as such, should receive wider debate in emerging tourism destinations. It is argued that the theory is particularly useful for understanding personal values as the basis of tourist behavior. This paper argues a personal values approach is a more potent way to understanding domestic tourist participation in contrast to previous survey research findings. A dominate narrative in most developing nations is to target domestic tourist with amenities envisioned for global tourists as a result of failure to generate international tourist demand. The review of literature method was used in this research paper as methodological approach. The study shows the effectiveness of Means End Chain analysis in understanding travel markets and demonstrated the use of motivation chains as a basis for segmenting, positioning, and targeting domestic tourist; The study deduces that means end chain analysis has advantages over quantitative research methods in cross-cultural research given the ability of the approach to reveal unique insights.

Re-imagining Africanisation of sustainable epistemologies and pedagogies in (South) African higher education: A conceptual intervention

This article aims to foreground the conceptual premise that (South) African academia should be the hub of Afrocentric knowledge production, both at theoretical and practical levels, through the efficacy of both “academic” and “non-academic” intellectuals. We further argue that these intellectuals, undergirded by epistemic desires for organic knowledge production, should be considered germane in the process of Africanising (South) African academia. The Afrocentricity theory, Antonio Gramsci’s (1971) and Syed Hussein Alatas’ (1977) conceptualisation of intellectuals serve as lynchpins for the conceptual forte of this article.

Taboos and Storytelling for Teaching and Learning in Zimbabwe

This paper explores how taboos and storytelling could be applied in the curriculum decolonization agenda of Africa through the Zimbabwe's Curriculum Framework for Primary Education adopted in 2015. The main question that underpinned the discussion was, What role could taboos and storytelling play towards a framework design for education decolonization at primary and high school levels in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in Africa? The theories that guided the reflective analysis and arguments advanced in the paper are Postcolonial theory and Afrocentric theory because of their complementary nature for the subject matter studied. The study found that taboos have a fear-deterrence effect to teaching and learning discourse while storytelling promotes ‘peership' and social equality among the learners. The study concluded that taboos and storytelling are just a few of the many possible African indigenous knowledge resources that could be considered towards curriculum decolonization framework at primary and high school levels in the continent.

Interrogating the forces that condition media representation of traditional healers in selected Zimbabwean newspapers

This article is a qualitative exploration of the factors that affect media representations of traditional healers in Zimbabwe. Guided by the Afrocentricity theory, the study focuses on the forces that shape the images of traditional healers in the newspapers Kwayedza, Daily News and The Herald. The article highlights that the stories that are read in newspapers about traditional healers are exaggerated and hyperbolic. They are not limited to the acts of these practitioners per se. Many factors in media production condition representation of traditional healers. The upshot of our rendition is that stories are rarely an honest reflection of traditional healers and their practices, but are versions of the truth. The article asserts that media representation is affected by colonialism, capitalism and the beliefs and religious orientations of individual journalists. Consequently, newspaper stories about traditional healers should not be consumed without applying one’s mind with regard to the contexts in which they are produced.